The Tower
by CelestialCircumference
Summary: Kakashi was just an ordinary man with an ordinary job until the day his colleague tried to kill him. Now, with his pink-haired student turned savior at his side he learns about his past, the future set out for him, and why he's no ordinary man at all. It's the AU that has taken on a life of its own. Originally part of my Dabble Depot. WIP. KakaSaku. Rated M for future possibilities
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I posted this to my tumblr and forgot to share it here. Part one in a series of role switching ficlets. This is the teacher/student wherein the student saves the teacher instead AU that no one asked for.

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Stars. Everywhere. Even beyond the glimmer of the city lights above him – all he could see was the ocean of stars. The wind had pushed around his whole body, like he was flying _hell, wasn't that why I got it in the first place_ , until he slowed his prized Kawasaki – finally – and followed the bend of the road. His heart was pounding, adrenaline lacing his veins, and it was all because of her. Her arm was tight _no, secure_ , around his waist.

Her voice rose over the growl of his motorbike. "Turn left at the next street."

And it was odd how mature she sounded to his ears. He gave a faint nod before following her directions. The garage door of the house at the middle of the cul de sac opened as he pulled into the driveway she pointed to him. They could finally stop!

The garage was closing before he could even turn the engine off. She swiftly removed herself from the bike, suggesting he follow her as she made way to the door. He ripped the helmet from his head, sending his cinereal locks askew. Of course he would follow her; he didn't really have a choice.

"Why did-" he began, but the words escaped him. "What just -"

She kicked the door close behind him and rested her hands over his shoulders as she pulled him toward a chair and guided him to sit. "I know you have questions, but while you soak it all in, I need to take a look at your wound."

 _My..._ He glanced down, alarmed at the crimson staining his shirt (his favorite one at that). _That's right..._

His head swam. It all felt suddenly so surreal.

It had started out as any other typical day: waking at precisely 4:30 am for his run, then a warm shower and a bottle of water with whatever fruit was in season (currently apples, and Honeycrisp were his favorite). And then, he hadn't meant to, but he still arrived at University half an hour late to first class.

And each class that followed was a variation of the last. And by the third one he had settled comfortably into the routine, and was actually looking forward to lunch. His friend Asuma had brought in a meal, homemade at that, by his wife Kurenai and he was certain he could persuade him into sharing a bite or two, or four.

His life had been so ordinary and simple up until that point. He was just Hatake Kakashi, an ordinary teacher after all.

Or _,_ he supposed, at least he had been up until today. He doubted he could go back to the University after what happened. He didn't think he wanted to return. Not after his colleague barged into his class and tried to remove his head from the rest of him. With a knife. He managed to evade his full blow, but the blade still landed a passing glance his side. And that was when _she_ got involved.

She had hurdled over her desk, running toward him as other students scurried away in horror. And one moment Hayate-san was raising his weapon and the next he was sent flying back into the whiteboard before crumpling to the floor. She turned to regard him and her emerald eyes had been so full of light, of a ferocity he hadn't seen in a person since... _god, how long ago was that?_

Her gaze tore from his as she looked out the window. For a moment her expression had changed, and she sputtered a curse as she offered her hand to him.

"We kind of need to hurry," she'd said, and he wasn't sure why he had taken her hand. But he did. She was a lot stronger than she'd looked, and had no difficulty helping him to his feet. He snatched up his pack before bolting out the door. He hadn't ever run through the University campus before, but he did this time.

A random voice called out to him. "Hatake-san?"

But the girl ( _what was her name again?)_ kept pushing him, urging him to pick up the pace. As they turned through the hall, he was jerked back by his bag and his student ( _Undercover agent? Assassin?_ His vivid imagination ran wild with thoughts) darted in front of him, catching the incoming knife.

"Get to the parking lot!" she had barked at him.

But he couldn't move; he felt heavy and his feet weren't obeying his orders no matter how much he told himself to run. She traded blows with the mysterious young man, before knocking his feet from under him and sheathing the knife into his chest.

There was blood on her cheek when she turned to him, and though she had just killed someone right in front of his very eyes, he found that he wasn't afraid of her. She mumbled about him being an idiot just standing there, and grabbed his hand again before pulling him along.

The double doors to the university banged open as they burst through them. There were a trio of men waiting there, and he had been surprised when this petite woman stepped in front of him like a shield. The man heading the trio smirked and twirled the baton in his hand before charging at them and swinging. He had squeezed his eyes shut, but nothing ever came. There was the sound of a scuffle and when he cracked open his eyes, he found the girl swinging under the railing, he feet taking out one of the attacker's knees. The other two were motionless on the ground. _When did she...?_

She grabbed his arm and they were off again. Rushing down the steps that followed, he nearly tripped and fell over the last few, but her grip was strong on his arm and she steadied him. "Come on, to your bike!"

He didn't ask how she knew what he rode to school, or where he was parked as she lead the way once again. He didn't ask what was going on, why someone he thought was a friend tried to kill him, or who those men were, or _just where the hell are we going?_ He just understood that getting away was what was important and questions could come later. And did he have questions...

God, he sounded like such a moron trying to get those questions out, too.

She pulled out the adjacent chair and sat, a medical kit in her hands. Her rosette locks were pulled back into a ponytail as her eyes set on him, all business. How many times had he seen her walk into his room before? She had always liked chatting with the girls before class began. But she had always been studious once in session. Her grades had been top notch, and she had seemed so... _normal_. Besides her hair color, and her intelligence, not much stood out about her. _Come on, remember her name._ He thought he had her pegged, but he had been so wrong.

He flinched when she went for the buttons on his shirt, and she held up her hands as she sat back. "Oh come on. I've seen plenty of male bodies!" His brow arched at her remark, and then he could've sworn he saw her gaze narrow in offense. "I'm a medic. It's what I do," she elaborated.

"I thought you were an arts major," he huffed with an exasperated laugh.

"Well..." Her lips quirked a little. "If it's worth anything, I did enjoy your class, Kakashi-sensei."

"All things considered, you could probably drop the sensei," he remarked and then winced as a tremor of burning pain danced over his side. Simply reacting, he jerked away from her outreaching hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she assured him. "But you've got to let me take a look at you before you risk infection."

He knew she wasn't out to hurt him; she'd saved his life after all. He was just... unsure of her motives and he'd always been a cautious person – at least when it came to other people. Trust was something hard earned, and here he was now, thrust into a situation where all he could do was trust this girl. It made him uneasy. But she had a point, and perhaps she had already earned it after today, and so he began to unbutton his shirt.

Kakashi didn't bother to look as he peeled the clothing away; instead, he focused on a patch of flyaway hair by her ear as she bent down to work on cleaning and treating him. A sense of sadness came over him then as gauze patted over his skin. "Hayate... really meant to kill me. And I have no idea why. Do you?"

It was only briefly, but she paused. "Not really," she supplied as she got back to work.

His gaze didn't leave her hair. "You wouldn't tell me even if you did know, would you?"

Her reply was simple. "I have my orders."

He was beginning to feel quite frantic and his gaze slipped away from her and to the refrigerator quietly humming. What the hell was going on in his life? But he didn't let his voice didn't give his frustration away. "From who?"

"You'll find out soon enough. We're not staying here longer than we have to so..." She sat back and he glanced at the small pile of bloody gauze. She retrieved some antiseptic from the kit and then turned her eyes to meet his. She looked genuinely apologetic. "I'm sorry that we don't have much time to talk. But I promise you, you'll get all of your answers."

He took in a deep breath and nodded. It was quiet as she bandaged him, her touch clinical and well-practiced. And he had no doubt that she had done this a time or two before, and he accepted then that she wasn't just a student. He slid his eyes to her; she was so focused on her task, her brow lightly creased. And it hit him then, her name.

Just as he went to speak she got up from the chair and began to clean up. "I should have a shirt that you can wear. It may be a little small, but it'll be better than what you have now."

"Thank you... Sakura."

She smiled, it was soft even in its briefness, and she nodded before walking through the open doorway. She emerged a moment later and tossed him a balled up shirt. With a last farewell look at his most comfortable dress shirt, he shrugged it from his other shoulder and let it lay across the chair, and then slipped into the one she provided.

Sakura picked up his torn button-down and tossed it in the trashcan. "So, Kakashi, before we go I need to ask you something."

And for some reason – her tone of voice, or her expression or body manners – her question made him wary. "What's that?"

"Do you know how to use a gun?"


	2. Chapter 2

The muse returned rather quickly so here's part two of the Student/Teacher AU. I have plans for the next AU reversal to be something different, but this may or may not turn into something more. It just depends. Anywho, thanks for the comments and reviews! They are greatly appreciated! Enjoy :) - Deni

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Much to his dismay, Kakashi sat through an impromptu gun lesson: how to release the magazine, reload, how to cock one into the chamber, the safety and how to release it, and she pointed out the dot sights above the barrel used to aid in aiming. She made it sound so simple. _You aim, pull the trigger and whatever is on the other side dies... if you're lucky._

Kakashi twisted the throttle as they sped down the interstate. She had insisted on driving, but he wasn't going to let anyone else take control of his baby. She allowed it, begrudgingly, since she didn't let him return to his home to collect any items. It was too dangerous. For him especially. And she refused to draw any unnecessary attention to themselves.

The cityscape faded away, and the four lanes merged into two. The glow of headlights grew more and more sparse and the sky became clearer the further away they traveled. But her arms never faltered around him. She was careful not to put pressure on his wound, and he was thankful for that.

Kakashi tried to let his thoughts go, but he couldn't stop thinking about Hayate, and the look in his eyes. They had been friends for years, had joked and drank and celebrated together. But the look he gave him that morning was murderous, as if he truly despised him. And maybe he did. He just wanted to know why. And how many other of his so-called friends weren't actually what they claimed to be.

He felt one of Sakura's arms leave his middle as she gestured to the upcoming exit. He nodded and zoomed by an eighteen-wheeler before merging into the exit lane. He followed her hand directions, going left and right and up a side street that steadily inclined.

She tapped his arm, yelling over the engine for him to slow down. So he did, and she pointed out the next turn, a sharp left barely visible, that he would have missed otherwise. He was sure many people wouldn't even give it a second thought as concealed as it was. The road wasn't paved, and made the ride horrendously bumpy and uncomfortable. He followed her directions at each fork, wondering how anyone could make it through the seemingly maze-like paths. Then again, he assumed that was the point.

They finally emerged from the treeline and he stopped, resting his feet on the ground and looked on in awe. He had no idea something like this was out here. Down the other side of the hill was a massive building. It looked to be an all wooden structure, stretching across the field from treeline to treeline, but rose no higher than the canopy of the trees. There were lights lining the courtyard and he could faintly make out figures that appeared to be keeping watch.

"Let's go," Sakura ordered.

Kakashi's heart sped, anxiety thrumming through him, and he swallowed hard, choking it all down. He twisted the throttle and then they were descending the hillside. He kept the speed low as they approached, and couldn't keep his eyes from scanning the masked faces of those standing guard. The white painted masks were a bit creepy, some with cat-like features, others resembled birds, bears, or wolves. And he knew they were watching them, or rather him.

Sakura was off the back of his bike before he finished downshifting and turning off the engine. She pulled the helmet off of her head and the guardians outside all raised their right hands to her, giving a two-fingered salute beside their masks. Kakashi removed his helmet, and turned his gaze to her. He really didn't know a thing about her – this girl that commanded that much respect. She nodded her head at him to follow and he did so without word. What could he possibly say anyway?

The double doors were opened for them and the foyer was darkened with only a pair of candles to light the way. He stiffened when her fingers found his hand and curled around it.

"Those answers I promised you are this way. You're safe here, Kakashi."

He didn't reply to her and she only squeezed his hand in reassurance. He didn't see the door in front of them, but thankfully he wasn't the one in the lead. Sakura pulled the door open and the soft lights inside nearly blinded him for as dark as it just was. He registered her letting go of his hand, and he could hear her steps fall away from him. He slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust and was surprised to see that she was being embraced by a blond haired boy.

"Sakura-chan! I'm glad you're safe! We've been keeping an eye on the news reports. You've been the breaking story all day!"

She narrowed her eyes at him as she leaned in, her body language admonishing his behavior, but her voice was gentle for even as annoyed as it was. " _Naruto_... really..."

Kakashi felt slightly at odds as she glanced back at him. The boy looked over at him then, his eyes were bright and matched the smile that stretched his lips. "So you're Kakashi Hatake, hmm?" Then his gaze narrowed as he seemed to be examining him.

 _What's with this kid?_ "Um... that's me." Kakashi answered.

"Well, welcome!" And then he turned back to Sakura, loud and rambunctious as he danced around her in excitement. "I'm glad you're finally back! That Uchiha bastard's been miserable. He won't say it but I know he missed you!"

 _Uchiha?_ _Did he say Uchiha?_ Kakashi's shocked expression froze on his face; he hadn't heard the name Uchiha since he was a boy. Since his friend had...

"Kakashi? Are you okay?"

Startled by Sakura's warm touch, he shook his head. "I'm... I think I just need... a minute."

"Naruto will you keep it down? Some of us are getting ready to turn in for the night."

At the new voice, the trio looked up. Kakashi was taken back by the young man that stood there. He was lean, with impeccable posture and fair skin. His long raven hair cascaded below his (fine-robed) shoulders, and beside him was a woman with similar features – the most striking of which were their opalescent eyes.

"Tch, you can bite me, Neji," the boy teased.

Sakura promptly smacked him on the arm. "Sorry, you know how excitable he is."

The girl blushed, before turning her gaze to Kakashi. Being caught in her admiration of the blond only made her blush deepen. Her voice was softer as she spoke. "It's alright Naruto-kun. Neji's had a long day is all."

The male – _Her brother? Cousin?_ Kakashi guessed – only heaved a sigh. "Formalities abound, I'm glad you made it back safely Sakura, though we all had little doubt otherwise." He paused and spared a glance in Kakashi's direction. "Now if you'll excuse me... goodnight."

His steps were so measured and graceful he almost appeared to be floating by. Kakashi let his eyes linger on him before he disappeared around the corner. The woman bowed her head politely to him before excusing herself and following the same path, calling out for the Neji character to wait for her.

The blond kid – _What was his name, god he was awful at remembering names –_ growled and sniffed in defiance. "Anyway, you should probably go see Baa-chan! She's been waiting for you and she wanted me to make sure to tell you to "step on it" or whatever." He gestured with air quotation marks and a shrug of his shoulders.

"Thanks, Naruto."

He nodded and glanced back to Kakashi. "I'll see you around, eh Kakashi? See ya tomorrow Sakura-chan!"

She let out a small chuckle before spinning around and taking Kakashi's hand again. "Come on, I've got to take you to see Lady Tsunade. I'm sure she's been expecting you all day, and she hates being kept waiting so … we should probably hurry."

"What is this place?" he asked as she lead him down a corridor on the right.

"This is simply known at The Tower." He must have had a funny expression on his face because she laughed before continuing. "Though I know it's not a real tower. We live here, train here, and work here - "

"Work?"

"Yes, like my job to protect you."

"So this Tsunade is the one that gave you the order?"

Pink hair bobbed as she nodded. "Yes, she is."

"And who exactly is she?"

"You'll find out for yourself. A few quick tips: let her address you first and reply with Tsunade- _sama_ , and hold your questions until she asks for them, and trust me she will. If she drinks, don't comment on it. Don't comment on how _much_ she drinks. If she calls you a brat, consider it a term of affection, and let it roll off. She has a mean front, but she's a wonderful person, though don't tell her I said that."

"Anything else?" he asked jokingly to hide how overwhelmed he was feeling.

They stopped in front of a set of doors and Sakura took his helmet from him; he'd almost forgotten he was carrying it. She ran her fingers through his hair, attempting to style it, but quickly giving up. "Good luck. And when she tells me to leave, just know that I'll remain out here waiting for you."

Kakashi wanted to say something then, anything – to ask her to wait, to just give him another minute, to please not leave even if she was asked to, but he couldn't get his mouth to operate. And then Sakura was reaching forward and opening the door and it was too late to turn back.


End file.
